bill harvey
Contributor
I am dying to go diving but would it be wrong to try my new drysuit for the first time on new years day? I know that if i find that it leaks i am going to freeze....
dying to dive but would it be wrong....
- Thread starter bill harvey
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Soggy
Contributor
Wrong? Nah...
A drysuit will tend to leak at the beginning or end of a dive when there is the greatest change in the airspace. At least, that is my experience and I have a lot of experience with leaky drysuits.
If it is going to leak, you'll know pretty soon. Plus, you can always abort if you feel a few trickles of water down your neck.
Make sure you don't have anything cotton up against your skin, especially in the torso. With decent undies you will stay relatively warm with a modest leak.
A drysuit will tend to leak at the beginning or end of a dive when there is the greatest change in the airspace. At least, that is my experience and I have a lot of experience with leaky drysuits.
If it is going to leak, you'll know pretty soon. Plus, you can always abort if you feel a few trickles of water down your neck.
Make sure you don't have anything cotton up against your skin, especially in the torso. With decent undies you will stay relatively warm with a modest leak.
Unless you have some reason to believe that the suit will leak, and so long as you are trained in the proper use of a dry suit (its not rocket science, but it is different), I say go for it.
I'm guessing that you will shore dive. Put your rig on, walk in, see if it leaks and, if it doesn't, have fun. Bring spare clothes just in case.
Its my understanding that you are with a police department. Are you part of the group that goes to Jamestown with their Crime Services van? They have a mobile changing room.
Have fun. I'm jealous.
I'm guessing that you will shore dive. Put your rig on, walk in, see if it leaks and, if it doesn't, have fun. Bring spare clothes just in case.
Its my understanding that you are with a police department. Are you part of the group that goes to Jamestown with their Crime Services van? They have a mobile changing room.
Have fun. I'm jealous.
OP
bill harvey
Contributor
The PD I work for doesn't have a dive team yet just several guys who like to dive.
As far as if i am trained i haven't had a chance to take the drysuit class yet but i am very fimiliar with the emergency procedures and the ways to dump air if needed.. I don't plan on using my drysuit for bouyancy just to stay dry. I guess padi and i won't agree about that one. Do you feel the brief class is that valuable?
As far as if i am trained i haven't had a chance to take the drysuit class yet but i am very fimiliar with the emergency procedures and the ways to dump air if needed.. I don't plan on using my drysuit for bouyancy just to stay dry. I guess padi and i won't agree about that one. Do you feel the brief class is that valuable?
Spectre
Contributor
I'd say go talk to Jeff at Discover Diving in Atkinson. Yea, he'll teach the bouyancy thing, but that doesn't mean you have to practice it.
I don't necessarily know what all you learn in a drysuit class, just that I'm getting my drysuit from him sometime in the next month or so, and I've had many many drysuit related discussions with him...
I assume you've been in the water recently enough so that you won't be task loaded with the general diving [thus adding a new drysuit-task a dangerous proposition]. If that is the case, you might want to look into practicing in a pool beforehand.
Arduous
Contributor
Go ahead and join the dive on New Years. What better time to try out a new suit, than in the company of many other divers. If enough divers show up, then youll have plenty of help getting adjusted.
Magwitch
Registered
I did the dry suit discover class, they taught all the basic stuff. Good thing too, on third dive went toes up & controlled myself before hitting surface. Now I can sense & correct before it happens but it sure is a fun ride. Also, you are given the option of using the suit or BC. Enjoy.
I never bothered to take the specialty course when I got my drysuit. My LDS includes a couple of sessions in the pool with the purchase of a new suit. That was enough.
Probably the biggest thing to learn is how to recover from a head down/feet up ascent (go into a fetal position and flip using your arms). The second is the proper amount of squeeze in the suit.
Even if you don't take the course, you should talk with someone about maintainance on the suit. You'll prolong its life.
One other thing (just a reminder). Since your suit is new, have you installed the inflator hose on the first stage of your regulator. This is not a patronizing comment, BTW, it actually happened to me once when I forgot to change one of my reg sets back from wet to dry diving. Its extremely easy to do, unless the hose is sitting at home and you're on the dock when you remember (then you need to improvise).
Good luck and have fun.
Soggy
Contributor
I'd say the class itself is not all that important, but some time in a pool after discussion with an experienced dry suit diver is a must. Knowing how to get out of a feet first ascent and being able to do it are somewhat different skills. Also having to maintain two airspaces is more task-loading. Even if you don't use the suit for bouyancy, you will have to vent air from it on ascent and that takes a bit of time to adjust to.
OP
bill harvey
Contributor
Thanks guys i guess i should skip the new years eve dive until i can take a drysuit class or get some pool time atleast. and i am certainly not diving wet
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